Cost-saving designer looks you can make or order

January 06, 2002|By Elaine Markoutsas, Universal Press Syndicate.

What sets apart high style from simply "decorating" the home is the selection of materials and the details that distinguish them.

The way those ingredients are put together makes all the difference. The "extras"--thick, sumptuous fringe edging an ottoman skirt, beaded tassels adorning a window valance, decorative buttons punctuating the closure of a duvet cover--are the kinds of custom touches that show up repeatedly in fine design magazines. For those whose budgets preclude ordering custom furniture, hiring an interior designer or shopping to-the-trade sources, it may come as a surprise that a custom look can be found as close as your local fabric store.

If you haven't browsed through pattern books lately, you may be surprised at the variety and sophistication of home design offerings. That includes small projects such as place mats, tablecloths, napkins and pillows as well as larger undertakings like bedding, draperies, fabric lampshades and even furniture slipcovers.

To sew or not to sew

With top-notch sewing skills, you can tackle just about anything. But if you can barely thread a needle, there are other options for custom looks that can stretch your decorating dollar.

Team a terrific pattern and fabric with a good local seamstress, and you may be able to capture a custom look for an off-the-shelf price.

At Vogue Patterns, it's James Bosco's job to track trends. As merchandise manager for crafts and home decorating, he scrutinizes design magazines to see what's new, fresh and likely to be popular for a while. Then he works with designers to develop patterns.

"Obviously, people like them," Bosco says. "They sell very well."

Year-round high-style pattern offerings include sheer organza place mats and napkins with simple, elegantly mitered borders, like the stylish pieces designed by Ann Gish that are sold in the better tabletop sections of department stores.

There also are patterns for funky shades for hanging lamps, some in boxy shapes and others reminiscent of the paper shades of Japanese designer Noguchi. Inverted umbrella shapes resemble elegant silk Fortuny lampshades that cost as much as $2,000.

Patterns for chair slipcovers have backs embellished like pretty party dresses. There even is a set of pillows featuring the stylized nature-themed embroidery characteristic of Arts and Crafts style, good news for fans of the simple Craftsman architectural style. While new and vintage furniture and pottery are readily available in this style, textiles are harder to find.

For the Arts and Crafts pattern, Bosco delved into Butterick archives and researched embroidery patterns from the 1910s and 1920s. Butterick, which was the parent company of Vogue until both recently were purchased by McCall, dates to the 1860s.

But some options require not so much as a stitch from today's dedicated do-it-yourself tailor.

"One of our best-attended classes addresses no-sew projects," says Kathy Hanley, owner of Les Tissus Colbert, a French-inspired shop based in Geneva that sells antique furnishings, new accessories and fabrics. Customers can purchase fabric and, through the shop's workroom, have sofas, chairs, bedding and draperies made to order.

But Hanley doesn't ignore the do-it-yourself market. "We sell 110-inch fabric," she says. "There are any number of things you can make--shower curtains, valances, tablecloths, napkins--without sewing."

The wider fabric is unusual. Most fabric widths are 54 inches or less, with the exception of sheers and some designer fabrics. Wider fabrics can translate into fewer seams.

A glue gun, pinking sheers and self-gluing fusible tape are some quick-and-easy tools for the no-sew seamstress or tailor. The fusible tape allows cutting and seaming fabrics without having to thread a needle.

That custom look

Hanley says one might even get away with creating a no-sew slipcover by taking just enough fabric to cover and simply tossing it over the piece, tucking it in at the cushions and tying loose fabric at the corners. She cautions, however, that it's not a practical option for furniture that gets a lot of use.

Shops like Les Tissus Colbert and Calico Corners also have workrooms that offer a range of custom furniture frames. You pick the fabric and decide on trims, and they do the rest. Expect to pay more than middle-of-the-road retail prices for this furniture, but less than high-end prices.

A classic armchair might start at just under $1,000, and a 72-inch sofa is likely to have a base price of $1,000. Plan to spend just under $2,500 for an 80-inch sofa. Prices are affected by fabric and fill choices that determine how cushy you want the piece to be. As with comforters, down is the most costly.